Atmospheric River Triggers Historic Flooding Across Washington State
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Mount Vernon, Washington — An atmospheric river brought days of torrential rain this week that swelled rivers, overtopped floodplains and prompted statewide emergency declarations. Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency Thursday as tens of thousands received evacuation orders, including about 78,000 in the Skagit River floodplain and roughly 100,000 under Level 3 alerts. National Guard teams conducted door-to-door evacuations in Burlington and other communities as rivers crested, bridges and roads washed out and homes were damaged or destroyed; search, rescue and recovery operations continued into Friday. Based on 11 articles reviewed and supporting research.
Mount Vernon, Washington — An atmospheric river brought days of torrential rain this week that swelled rivers, overtopped floodplains and prompted statewide emergency declarations. Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency Thursday as tens of thousands received evacuation orders, including about 78,000 in the Skagit River floodplain and roughly 100,000 under Level 3 alerts. National Guard teams conducted door-to-door evacuations in Burlington and other communities as rivers crested, bridges and roads washed out and homes were damaged or destroyed; search, rescue and recovery operations continued into Friday. Based on 11 articles reviewed and supporting research.
More context
Timeline
- 1. Earlier in the week: an atmospheric river moved into the Pacific Northwest, bringing heavy rain.
- 2. Wednesday: authorities issued 'go now' evacuation orders for floodplain residents in Skagit County and elsewhere.
- 3. Thursday: Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and warned of historic flooding.
- 4. Early Friday: National Guard conducted door-to-door evacuations in Burlington and other towns as waters rose.
- 5. Friday morning: rivers crested (Skagit above 37 feet in Mount Vernon); bridges, roads and homes reported damaged.
Sources
JQJO Editorial Desk · Human reviewed · AI assisted. Report a correction.
